> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Santa Monica-Malibu schools open new buildings as $480 million in facility work moves ahead - URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-malibu-schools-open-new-buildings-as-480-million-in-facility-work-moves-ahead/ - Published: 2026-09-23T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-23T16:00:00.000Z - Author: Maaz Alin - Tags: Government & Politics, SMMUSD Students in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District started the fall semester in several newly finished buildings. District officials told the Board of Education on Thursday that a dozen more facility projects are under construction or in design. Bond program manager Steven Massetti gave the update, which covered projects under Measures M, SMS, MM and QS. "We just went through in 12 minutes about $480 million worth of work," Massetti said after the presentation. Five major projects were put into use this summer and fall, though crews are still finishing remaining work at each: **McKinley Elementary School:** a new administration and classroom [building](https://www.smdp.com/city-already-has-two-sb79-developments-replacing-single-family-homes/), with a construction contract of $33.5 million. **Ocean Park School House:** water intrusion repairs and a modernization totaling $58.5 million. **Grant Elementary School:** a $10.3 million library and historic courtyard renovation. **Lincoln Middle School:** an $18 million modernization of its legacy building. **John Adams Middle School:** a gym restroom and renovation project that finished ahead of schedule. Massetti noted that his son's classroom is at McKinley. "This is the first time that those two circles have ever overlapped," he said. At Lincoln, crews found an old doorway cut into a structural wall and filled in, probably about 30 years ago and possibly not to current code. Because of the noise, repairs are being done on weekends. Not every project is on track. The $24.4 million Grant Elementary classroom building, due to open in January 2027, is running behind. The contractor and construction management team are working to recover the lost time. "It doesn't sound like a lot when you say it's a few weeks behind schedule, but when that few weeks means you can't start the semester there, it's actually kind of a lot," Massetti said. Roosevelt Elementary School's $31 million early education and library building remains on schedule to open in January 2027\. The new STEM building at John Adams Middle School is expected to open in August 2027. Recent heavy rain soaked parts of the STEM building before it was fully waterproofed, forcing the contractor to replace the bottom foot of exposed drywall. Massetti cited a $27.5 million construction contract for the building but said he would confirm the figure. The rain hit Franklin Elementary School harder, because crews there were grading bare dirt. The estimated $32 million early education building and campus improvement project had already been delayed in DSA permitting. New classrooms are now expected to open in winter 2027-28, followed by a new parking lot and a permanent field. Grading at Franklin has also drawn complaints from neighbors whose backyards sit across an alley from the site. "It's more than just nuisance dust," Massetti said. District staff have met with the neighbors, and the contractor has agreed to power-wash their yards. Franklin is also home to the district's natural turf pilot project, completed Sept. 2\. Rather than setting a fixed opening date, staff will check root depth in early October. "We're going to let the grass tell us when it's ready," Massetti said. He expects the field to open in mid-October. The largest projects are still years from completion: [**Samohi**](https://samohi.smmusd.org/?ref=smdp.com)**:** a new student services building, estimated at $80 million, began construction this summer where the business building once stood. Occupancy is planned for August 2028. **Malibu middle school hub and gymnasium:** estimated at $64.5 million, the project recently received DSA approval and held its groundbreaking the week before the meeting. Completion is expected in summer 2028. **Malibu aquatics center:** estimated at $42 million, it is expected to break ground in early 2027. Board members praised the work and urged the district to do more to show it to the public. "The people in the community have to see what they paid because it's our tax dollars that's built this," school board member Maria Leon-Vazquez said. She suggested open houses organized by school pathway. Board Vice President Laurie Lieberman compared the idea to a progressive dinner. She said the district must share visual images and find other ways to show the work. "They can't possibly see where their tax dollars are going," Lieberman said. She added that the projects are about "safety and health" as well as 21st-century learning opportunities. Massetti said staff would help but acknowledged the challenge. "It's hard to get people to just come to campus," he said. School board member Jennifer Smith said the district plans another event at Samohi and will send the community a date, separate from tours for prospective parents. Chief Operations Officer Carey Upton said staff have something planned for the district's State of Our Schools event. Board President Alicia Mignano said the event is Oct. 7.